Everywhere
by Silence Is Not Golden
Summary: "I would like to hire you, Kyoko-san," Asahina stated. "I would like you to investigate Naegi Makoto." This certainly piqued the detective in Kirigiri. "He's been sad lately." The young detective was aware of the alteration to his disposition but she didn't wish to pry. "An unhappy Makoto makes an unhappy class. I know there's something up, Kyoko!" -Oneshot- Naegiri, non-despair AU


**Hello. This story is set in an AU non-despair universe. Other Danganronpa 1 characters are mentioned but the focus will obviously be on Kirigiri Kyoko and Naegi Makoto. The high school mentioned is not Hope's Peak High. It doesn't exist in this story. Other than that, I tried to write the characterization of each character as close to the canon as possible.**

 **I hope you enjoy your stay!**

 **...**

A young, brunette girl cleared her throat as she stepped in front of the desk belonging to one of the least talkative people in her high school class. She fiddled with her ponytail while she waited for her classmate, Kirigiri Kyoko, to finish packing up her belongings. Kirigiri tended to keep her distance from the rest of the student body but a mutual acquaintance enlightened her that Kirigiri wasn't as cold as everybody pegged her to be. He confidently proclaimed that she had a big heart. Asahina Aoi was about to find out how big that heart could be. "Ummm...Kyoko-san." For the second time, she coughed, willing some of her courage to the surface. "I'm Asahina Aoi and ummm…"

Unreadable lilac eyes gazed upon the nervousness of her classmate. "Yes, I know who you are, Asahina-san."

Aoi's bright eyes lit up, in both surprise and apprehension. Of course, Kirigiri would know her. She was very perceptive. "Oh ok. So...you're like a detective, right? A real one?"

Kirigiri remained still but was amused by the question. Sure, she was young but she was raised to be a detective at a very tender age. Her family had a long history of sleuthing so it was the obvious road for her to walk on. Since she kept others at a certain impartial distance, no one was au fait with the rigidity of her upbringing. It was only natural for her peers to be incredulous. Asahina didn't mean it as an offense."Yes. I am a detective, Asahina-san. What can I do for you?"

"I would like to hire you," Aoi stated more on point. "I want someone investigated."

This certainly piqued the detective in her. Deciding to hear her classmate out, she gestured for Asahina to pull up a chair so they could speak at eye level.

"Okay, so you know Naegi Makoto?" Kyoko stiffened at the mere mention of the name.

Naegi Makoto. The only person in the class that never seemed to take a hint. There were times she made it perfectly clear she didn't want his company but he kept coming back.

" _No one really likes to be alone, Kirigiri-san. I know you don't. I see it when you're around our classmates! You have a friend in me. In all of us. I want you to know that."_

His words echoed in her head. She was used to being alone but she must admit that his presence somewhat soothed her. Genuine optimism and faith in others were qualities she wasn't used to seeing and Naegi displayed them for all to witness. It attracted her to him like a moth to a flame.

"Kyoko-san?"

Warmth spread across Kirigiri's cheeks."Yes, continue. What about Naegi-kun?"

"Have you noticed a change in Makoto-chan? He seems sad." The young detective was aware of the alteration in his disposition and thought to inquire about it but it seemed rather personal. She didn't wish to pry. She was a private person herself and she wouldn't want anybody to ferret around in her affairs. However, Naegi was an open book, unlike her, and as such, it was disconcerting when he kept his feelings in. It was palpable.

"Yes. The sudden change occurred during last month. Before that, he had returned home due to a family emergency." Aoi clapped her hands, glad that they were on the same page.

"Exactly! Me and Sayaka-chan are worried because whenever we questioned what happened, he tells us it's nothing but it's obviously not nothing! I don't want to be a busybody but an unhappy Makoto makes an unhappy class. Everybody has been more somber, you know? We just want to help him. I know there's something up!"

It took Kyoko a minute before responding that Aoi concluded that this was a waste of a detective's time. Kyoko could be solving cases, saving people and the world and Aoi were dumping this menial task on her plate. Insignificant to most but Makoto was her friend. "Very well. I shall accept this case, within a reasonable limitation that I don't pry anymore than I have to out respect for Naegi-kun's privacy."

"Oh! You're the best, Kyoko-chan!" Aoi couldn't help but yell out in glee.

Kyoko...chan? It wasn't repulsive but Kirigiri wasn't acclimated to such terms of endearment.

"So, what's your rate?" She started digging into her wallet and counted her money. It was meager as she expected. "Me, Sayaka-chan, Sakura-chan can pool our resources and-"

Kyoko interrupted her with one hand "It just so happen that my rate for classmates is free." Aoi jumped for joy and then went in for a huge bear hug, trapping Kyoko to her seat. The detective didn't return the hug but waited for the other girl to finish her exuberant embrace. "You're awesome, Kyoko-chan."

"Hey, what's all the commotion?" The girls turned to the deep timbre of a familiar classmate.

"Makoto-chan! Hey!" Asahina patted his shoulders. "What's up? Why're you here?" She spat out in one breath, causing him to raise his brow in curiosity. It wasn't every day that these contrasting personalities met like this. Makoto reached inside the desk adjacent to Kyoko's.

"Just forgot my notebook. What are you and Kirigiri-san up to, Hina?"

Hina stumbled but found her footing once she settled with a plausible excuse. "I'm gonna teach Kyoko-chan how to swim! It'll be fun, right?" Hina nudged the detective. Her head bobbed up and down anxiously. She wasn't sure if Naegi was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Yes. I need to learn lest I find myself swimming with the fishes or other aquatic creatures and the like. That would be an ignoble fate, one I have no desire for." Kyoko uttered robotically.

"Right! An iglooble fate! That would suck." Laughter shook Hina's body. She was glad Kyoko played along but she could be comical even when she didn't intend to.

"I see. I'll leave you girls to it then." He waved a goodbye to them when he acquired what he needed.

When he left, Asahina dragged Kyoko to the cafeteria for lunch and to discuss the next step of the investigation. But mostly it was for lunch. It would also be refreshing to pick her enigmatic classmate's brain for an hour. "What the heck is an iglooble, Kyoko-chan?"

"Ignoble, Asahina-san. It's…"

 **…**

 ** _One day later…._**

Makoto sleepily opened his weary eyes when he heard a knock on the door of his assigned dorm room. Unconcerned for his disheveled appearance, he swung the door. It was probably his friends, Leon or Byakuya. The latter probably wanted to do some errands with him. The former...roll the dice. It could be anything.

"Yep. What?" He glanced up and found a different outcome. The person of similar height wore a skirt and a stylish looking leather jacket. They muttered a soft, "Naegi-kun, put some clothes on." Unless either of his friends was cross-dressing…"Kirigiri-san?" His face flushed a deep, crimson color. In front of him was a girl and he was wearing a loose pajama bottom that was nearly slipping off. Just a bottom. Nothing else. He slammed the door on her face without thinking. "Wait!" He called out.

As soon as he was presentable, he met up with her outside. Apologizing profusely for such rudeness on his part, he bowed his head and hoped she wasn't upset with him.

"It is fine, Naegi-kun. You woke up late. We will be tardy for class." His eyes bulged from his socket. Class? The time was...7:50 am. Alarmed that he was bringing Kirigiri down with him, he shouted that she go on ahead until he heard her chuckle.

"I am kidding, Naegi-kun. It is a Sunday. No class." An awkward, tense silence mingled in the air, in a way that one can cut it with a knife. It was the rare Kirigiri humor. She did like to tease him occasionally and he fell for them each time.

"I...that wasn't nice, Kirigiri-san." He pouted and she fought the urge to pet his hair. He wasn't a stray dog she found by the side of a curb.

"I realize that. I offer my sincerest apologies but you have been rousing from bed at a later time even throughout the school week. You are usually prompt. I warn you to exercise caution and minimize your tardiness before it transforms into an ugly habit. " Makoto watched as she walked away. Kirigiri-san was a strange woman but that was her way of expressing her concern.

A rueful smile came to him.

 **…**

 ** _One week later…_**

Naegi glanced over his shoulder. For the past few days, brief flashes of lilac had invaded his periphery but when he faced in that certain direction, no one was there. At first, he was convinced he was just imagining things but after her startling stint last Sunday, he had a feeling she was keeping an eye on him. In fact, even before Sunday, the young detective was paying attention to him more than he was used to. The thought brought a light pink stain on his cheeks. It was flattering. He liked Kirigiri (although he would never admit it). Another heartbreak was more than he could handle and he was normally a resilient person.

He sighed. Hina must have been talking to her about his abrupt attitude change. Concealing his emotions was a practiced effort and he would like to say he has gotten fairly good at hiding his dour mood but even some had managed to leak out. He must tread lightly. His friends didn't need to be burdened with his problems.

Checking his wristwatch, he rushed out of the school campus to hang out with his sister before he was late to that meeting as well. She called in earlier in the day to remind him she was in the city. On his way out and because of his lack of attentiveness to his surroundings, he bumped against a warm figure. "Naegi-kun."

"Kirigiri-san! I'm so sorry!"

"Pay more attention to your environment, Naegi-kun." She scolded instantly.

He rubbed the back of his head.

"You should go, Naegi-kun. Do not make your sister wait."

He nodded his head in agreement. "Right! I'll see you, Kirigiri-san!" Before long, he stopped dead in his tracks when he received a phone call from his younger sister.

"Komaru! Yeah, I'll be there in a bit." He paused. "What's wrong?" Sensing his sister's distress, he picked up the pace. "I miss him too...I can see the cafe now. We can talk then, okay?" He hung up the call but then a realization struck him. It was about the short dialogue he just shared with Kirigiri. He didn't recall divulging his sister's visit to any of his classmates and yet Kirigiri was informed about it.

"What are you up to, Kirigiri Kyoko?"

 **...**

 ** _The next day…_**

Night rolled in. Makoto laid down on a set of bleachers at his school's track field. Brisk wind harrassed the bareness of his arms but he ignored it. A school gathering was taking place in the cafeteria for an unnamed reason but he wasn't up for large crowds right now. Digging his hands into his pockets, his body unconsciously sought out for any sources of heat. He must have dozed off since he wasn't cognizant of another presence sitting near him. The smell of sweet honeydew stirred him from the depths of slumber. Something pleasant heated him. He sat up and a familiar black jacket was draped across his chest. "Kirigiri-san. What are you…"

"Naegi-kun, there are more suitable places for a nap. Out here is not one of them." At this point, he was getting accustomed to the Kirigiri advice of the day.

"I wanted some fresh air." He pushed her coat back to its owner but Kyoko told him to hold on to it. Smaller than his own jackets, he simply hugged it close to his body. Contrasting to their previous encounters, the atmosphere between them was comfortable. She wasn't the talkative type and he respected that about her.

"Say, Kirigiri-san. Is there something you wanted to talk to me. I noticed that you've been following me recently." He went out and directly confronted her about her constant shadowing. He was keenly aware that everywhere he went, she was always closely nearby.

"So, you are more perceptive than I gave you credit for, Naegi-kun. Yes, I have been tailing you. I was hired to investigate you." It was futile to suppress the details of Asahina's request so she disclosed everything.

"I had no idea she would go to such an extreme extent. I'm a terrible friend." He hung his head in shame. "I'm sorting some things out. I don't want to bother anybody with my troubles."

Wrapping her pointer finger and thumb around her chin, she closed her eyes, organizing her upcoming thoughts into coherent sentences. "You are entitled to your privacy but it's not in your nature to sequester yourself like this." The texture of smooth leather encompassed the length of his hand. Her gloved hand. The gloves' purpose remained unknown to him but she once admitted that it was scarred. "You have a friend in me. In all of us. I want you to know that."

Astonished by the familiarity of the phrase, watery beads started forming at the edges of his eyes. He once imparted those very same words to her when he felt she was still uneasy with him. "So, you've been investigated me. How much do you know, Detective Kirigiri?" He wiped the tears away and brandished out a small but bitter smile.

"You've lost someone in your immediate family. Most likely a parent. " She started slowly, gauging his reaction with each revelation. "Due to a disease. Your sister, who still lives at home, has been constantly dropping by to visit, probably to escape the stifling ambiance of your household. You've been sleeping in later and later, eating frugally and displaying atypical behaviors when regarding many social interactions with your peers. These are early signs of depression, Naegi-kun. It might be impertinent of me to say but do not bottle it in any longer. Accept Asahina-san's or Maizono-san's help. Or even seek professional help. Our school has counselors. Speak to them. To me..." She whispered that last part to herself but he heard it. He said nothing, stumped that she knew so much.

"Yeah. Lost my dad to cancer." He finally admitted. "My mom and uncle didn't even bother telling me because dad asked them not to. He didn't want to disrupt my studies but that isn't fair!" His voice trembled, ache clutched at his heart. "It isn't fair!" Makoto allowed the tears to fall this time. "I have the right to know." He choked on his own spit and he fastened his eyes shut but the dam already broke. "It's not fair." Over and over, he mumbled, "it's not fair."

"Naegi-kun... " With one swift and precise movement, Kyoko closed the gap between them and entwined her arms around his grief-stricken form. He buried his face in her chest. No matter what he did, the tears won't cease. He found it odd that he didn't even cry during his father's funeral. This must be the tears that built up. The despair that was consuming him.

The soft touch of a balmy peck on his forehead infiltrated his senses and for that fleeting moment, he focused on that. He raised his head up. Emerald irises locked with a sea of lilac. "I lost my mother when I was young," Kyoko spoke gently. "Young enough not to grasp the concept of death but old enough to know the feeling of loss. My father left shortly afterward. For a while, the only friend I had was an old man, my grandfather. My only purpose was to search for the truth. It was an unexpected twist of serendipity that he enrolled me in a high school, away from his tutelage, but I accepted his wisdom without resistance." She reluctantly released her hold on him but their close proximity endured, their faces merely inches away from each other. "I contemplated on withdrawing from this school but it was partly due to your persistence that I began to ingrain myself within the student body. Gradually but I was learning. I was learning from you. I depend on you, Makoto." A hot stream of blood dusted his cheeks at the intensity of her declaration.

"You're no good to me like this" Tinge in her tone was playfulness and adoration. "I know the pain of loss. Take your time but don't fence off people that lov…" She coughed and hastily revised her sentence. "I mean, those who care about you."

Luckily, she kept her wooden expression in place but their propinquity was threatening to break her composure. "Promise me, Makoto."

He outstretched his right pinky to her.

"I promise."

She circled her gloved ones around his own. Vocalizing her past like that was an enormous step for Kyoko and so he'll honor her wishes. Although, she was correct. It wasn't like him to seal himself away. Despair was frightening. He had no idea it would be her to wade through the muck and pull him out of it. Naegi emitted a loud, audible gulp. Their seating arrangement remained and if he leaned forward, even a little, their lips would…

"Naegi-kun, shall we head inside." She stood up and extended a helping hand to him.

Relief and disappointed awash his face. "Yeah! Let's go!"

 **…**

 ** _Several days later…_**

"Kyoko-chan!" Hina hopped on the gumshoe's desk and sat on it, invading her personal space. Kyoko didn't mind. Having adapted to the chipper demeanor of the gifted swimmer, Asahina's company was nice. "You're a miracle worker! Makoto explained everything the other day and he's almost back to his old self. He said you were a big help!" Then, the conversation careened into an unforeseeable turn. Hina smirked coyly. "You gave a little inspiration, Kyoko-chan? Nowadays, you two are sweeter on each other." It was heavily implied that something less than innocent transpired between them but Kirigiri knew better than to submit to such a perceptible provocation.

"Is that so? I have detected that you are sweet on a boy as well. An upperclass-" Aoi plastered a speedy hand on her friend's mouth. The tables shifted towards Kyoko's side. Being on the receiving end of the teasing would teach Aoi a lesson.

"Shhh...how'd you- Nevermind!" Hina swerved her head to and fro and fortunately, only their classmate, Celeste, was around. Well, maybe not fortunately. Celeste was known to be a trickster after all.

"Then, extricate yourself from that line of thinking." Hina vehemently nodded her head, not fully understanding what extricate meant but relied on context clues to get the gist of the warning.

"Yes! I will exterminate myself from that line of thinking. Now, shush!" Asahina bolted to her seat at the front when their classmates started pouring into the room. Minutes later, she swiveled around to face the detective. "Kyoko-chan! Really!" She made a motion of zipping her lips and throwing away the key. Kyoko mimicked her while donning a blank exterior.

"What was that about, Kirigiri-san?" Makoto took his seat beside her.

"Girl talk. I would tell you but I chucked the key somewhere." A merry grin graced his lips. She must admit. It suited him more.

...

 **I hope you enjoyed the read. I am late to the party but I recently picked up Danganronpa and now I am obsessed with the game. Naegi and Kirigiri are just adorable! Hated to see most of the cast succumb to their fates so if I am to write more stories about Danganronpa, I would tend to lean on a non-despair version, with everybody still happily alive.**


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